Anglers in Monterey enjoyed some good fishing this week with impressive scores recorded from Chris’ Fishing Trips. Chris Arcoleo sent boats out for “Crabs ‘n Dabs” twice last week. On Sunday they recorded 360 sand dabs plus 72 Dungeness crab for nine anglers on the Check Mate. Tuesday the Caroline enjoyed similar success, bringing home 500 sandabs and 52 Dungies for the 10 anglers aboard.

On the Santa Cruz side of the bay, things are much slower. The Santa Cruz harbor entrance remains shoaled. Harbor officials remind boaters to exercise “extreme caution” when attempting to transit the harbor mouth. Last week, Harbormaster Latisha Marshall advised ““Be aware of the tides and know how much water your boat drafts.” Current entrance soundings indicate only a narrow channel with a depth of six to ten feet on the far east side of the harbor mouth is navigable, and there are very shallow sand bars immediately outside the harbor as well.

Fishing weather for the upcoming weekend is not looking very good. But, a dedicated angler might sneak out for some surfcasting. The forecast includes a big swell up to eight feet on Saturday, tapering off after the weekend. Rain and showers are forecast through Monday. A little bit of rain shouldn’t stop surfperch from biting as long as there’s not too much junk in the water.

Saturday evening looks promising for surfcasting with a high tide coinciding with sunset. Wind from the south could also be a factor, as gusts up to 15 knots are forecast Saturday, increasing to a high forecast of 30 knots for Sunday and Monday. In the good news column, we’ve had a few more striped bass reported caught from beaches close to the Salinas and Pajaro river mouths. Most of these beach stripers are sub-legal size but still a blast to catch.

For those who have to scratch that fishing itch, a little bit of travel might be called for. Coastal rivers in Northern California are difficult to predict, but some very good scores of steelhead were reported last week from the Eel, Smith and Klamath rivers. The American river above Sacramento has featured decent steelheading for the past few weeks and it’s sturgeon time in the Delta region nearby. Fishing guide JD Richey checked in on Wednesday with his current report saying, “Well, as soon as I had a pattern going on the steelhead, the rains are coming again and the rivers will rise. So, it's officially all sturgeon, all the time from now until the end of February (at least). Fishing is solid already and is only going to get better! “

Another option for boaters and bank anglers alike is the San Luis Reservoir or O’Neill Forebay. San Luis is full to the brim with water now, and striper fishing is going well. The Forebay also has some big stripers on the bite as well as largemouth and smallmouth bass. Jumbo minnows are recommended for the stripers, though a variety of lures can also be effective.